Apparatus for the pyrolytic processing of hydrocarbons



Feb. 12, i935. w. o. KEELING 1,990,597

APPARATUS FOR THE PYROLYTIC-PROCESSING OF HYDROCARBONS Filed June '7,1929 2 Sheets-511661', l

Feb..12, 1935. w. o. KEELING APPARATUS FOR THE PYROLYTIC PROCESSING OFHYDROCARBONS Filed June '7, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 connection withcombinations of heating,

gases therefrom ,may be Patented Feb. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES APPARATUSFOB THE PYROLYTIC PRC- y ESSING 0F HYDROCARBONS William 0. Keeling,Independence, Mo. Application June 7, 1929, Serial No. 369,174

f 2 claims.

' This invention relates to a means for the formation and utilization ofhot combustion gases in hydrocarbon crackingprocesses of the vapor phasetype and for heating. distilling or cracking carboniferous andpetroliferous material and the invention has for its object to provide,face type combustion burner device for ing adjacent to and forcommunicating positionwith the 1 heating, distilling or crackingapparatus or system and so constructed and arranged whereby all the fuelis completely burned before any of the combustion gases are`introducedinto the apparatus or system; combustion takes place outside of theapparatus or system no flame can ever come in contact with the materialto be heated; no partly burned fuel or partly burned products of thefuel can come in contact with the material to be heated; and furtherwhereby the products of combastion to be introduced into the system arecal:-

bon dioxide, water vapor,:free nitrogen and which contains substantiallyzero percentage of free Oxygen andcarbon monoxide.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a surface type combustion burner device makingavailable approximately one hundred percent-of the heat content of thefuel.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a surface type combustion burner device arrangedrelative to the system whereby the products of combustion, dischargedtherefrom are directly co-mingled and contacted with the material to beheated thereby utilizing approximately one hundred percent of the heatenergy of the fuel. resulting in a large saving in fuel cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a surface type combustion burner device wherebythe hot d for ;heatingf..only or for distillation, cracking, /as well asany or all distilling and cracking.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a new and novel means for heat application of hotcombustion gases and with these latter diluted with cool inert gases.before the hot combustion gases are introduced into the apparatus orsystem. under such conditions any temperature of the hot combustiongases up to approximately 3500 F., can maintained. depending on the fuelused.

A further object of the invention is to provide,

. in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a surface type combustion burnerdevice whereby the amount of air and fuel mixture admitted thereto issubject to instant and automatic control under such conditions that thequantity of heat introduced into the apparatus or system is also subjectto instant and automatic control.

in a manner as hereinafter set forth, asuri A further object of theinvention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, wherebythe heat application to the material in the apparatus or system can beoperated with the pressure in that part of the latter carrying thematerial above, below or at atmospheric pressure.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists ofthe novel construction and arrangement of surface type combustion burnerdeyice as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention,but` it is to be understood that changes, variations and modificationscan be resorted to which fall within the scope of the claims adaptationthereof in connection with a container carrying carboniferous to betreated.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatical'view illustrating the adaptation of devicesin accordance with this invention with respect to a system or apparatusemployed for cracking, heating and distilling hydrocarbons and anycombination of cracking, heating and distilling.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings 1 indicates a column, Icontaineror receptacle for carboniferous or petroliferous material to be treated.The upper end of the container Lis provided with an outlet pipe 2leading to a condenser or cooler not shown. 'I'he bottom of thecontainer 1 is provided with a draw off pipe 3 forresidual material,such as coke or the like.

The surface type burner is indicated generally at 4 and which includesan annular part 5 of uniform diameter and a tapered part 6 extended fromone .end of the part 5. `The tapered part 6 at its free end is formedwith an opening 7 and or vpetroliferous material ,a collar 8 forming acontinuation of opening 7.

V4 merges into a head member 10 provided with a series of spaced ports11. The parts 5, 6 and head member 10 provide a combustion chamber 12.

Mounted on the outer periphery of the part and projecting rearwardlytherefrom is an annular cap member 13 having its rear end 14 spaced fromthe head piece to provide a fuel receiving chamber 15. The rear end 14of the receptacle 13 has a central opening. 16 to the Wall of which isconnected-a fuel supply pipe 17 leading from an inspirator or automaticmixing device 18. Communicating with the device 18 is a gas feed pipe 19and an air supply pipe 20 and said pipes have automatic control devices21, 22 respectively to regulate the pressure of gas and air respectiveapair of surface type burner ly. The inspirator or automatic mixingdevice 18 is for correctly proportioning the air and gas mixture whichwhen combined provides the fuel discharging into the receiving chamber15 and from there it passes through ports 11 into the combustion chamber12 and burned. The hot combustion gases pass from the chamber 12 througha conducting pipe 23 secured to the wall of opening '7 and collar 8 andopening into combustion chamber 12. The pipe 23 is connected to thecontainer 1, as at 24 and opens into the lower portion of container 1.The burner element 4 and conducting pipe 23 are provided with a liningof refractory material.

Opening into the conducting pipe 23, in advance of the part 6 of theburner element 4 is a supply line 25 which is employed for conductingcold inert gas to the pipe 23 to cool the hot combustion gases beforethe admission thereof to the container 1.

There is illustrated in Figure 2 an apparatus or system for cracking,heating or distilling hydrocarbons and utilizing therewith a pluralityof surface type combustion burner devices in accordance with thisinvention. The burner devices are indicated generally at 26, 27 and eachis constructed in the same manner as the burner device shown inFigure 1. In Figure 2 the burner devices are disposed vertically whereasin Figure 1 the burner device is arranged horizontally.

In Figure 2 a pair of containers or columns for the material beingtreated are indicated at 28 and 29 in communication with each other by aconducting pipe 30 which leads from the lower end of container 28 andopens into the top of container 29. Burner devices 26, 27 openrespectively in the lower portions of containers 28, 29. Container 29has a residual material outlet 31. Automatic inspirators 32, 33 for airand fuel communicate respectively with burner devices 26, 27. Air andfuel feed lines or manifolds 34, 35 respectively are common to theinspirators.

Communicating heat exchangers or partial condensers 36, 37 are arrangedabove the containers. A charging line for cool oil stock to be treatedis indicated at 38 and has branches 39 opening into the heat exchangers.The line,38v opens into container 28. A vconducting pipe 40 establishescommunication between the heat exchangers and has a branch 41 leading toline 38. Extendingv from the heat exchangers to condensers not shown areconducting pipes 42, and extending from containers 28, 29A to the heatexchangers are vapor conductor vpipes 42'.

'I'he burner devices 26, 27are `constructed the same as the burnerdevice shown in Figure 1, therefore each includes a v.conducting pipe 43corresponding to pipe 23 and a supply Line 44 for cool inert gascorresponding to line 25.

In order to regulate the temperature .of the hot combustion gasesto beintroduced to the system orapparatus, it will be necessary to cominglethe hot combustion `gases direct from the burner with some cold ,inertgas, because the temperature of the hot combustion gases direct from theburner may reach a temperature of approximately 3500 F., depending onthe nature o1' the fuel. The. direct contact of the hot combustion`gases at this temperature with carboniferous or petroliferous materialwould result in complete` decomposition of the latter, which is a thingto bepavoided.

Among the advantages of heat application in accordance with thisinvention are that all of the fuel is completely burned before any ofthe combustion gases are introduced into the apparatus or system; thatcombustion takes place outside of the apparatus or system proper; thatno flame can ever come in contact with material to be heated; that nopartly burned fuel or partly burned products of the fuel can ever comein contact with the material to be heated; that the products ofcombustion to be introduced into the apparatus or system are carbondioxide, water vapor, free nitrogen and contains substantially zeropercentage of free oxygen and carbon monoxide; thatcapproximatelytheoretical proportions of air and fuel are necessary, resulting inmaking available approximately one hundred percent of the heat contentof the fuel; that since the products of combustion are directlyco-mingled and contacted with the material to be heated approximatelyone hundred percent of the heat energy of the fuel can be utilized,resulting in a large saving in fuel cost; that since products ofcombustion may be diluted with relatively cool inert gases before beingintroduced into the container containing the material to be heated, anytemperature up to approximately 3500 F., can be maintained, depending onthe fuel used; that since the amount of air-fuel mixture admitted to asurface type combustion burner is subject to instant and automaticcontrol the quantity of heat introduced into a container is also subjectto instant and automatic control; that since the temperature of thecombustion gases introduced into a container may vary up to 3500 F.,these gases may be used then for heating only, distillation, cracking,as well as any or all combinations of heating, distillation and crackingand by this method of heating can be operated with the pressure in thecontainer either above or below atmospheric pressure.

It is thought the many advantages of a surface type combustion burnerdevice in accordance with this invention can be readily understood, andalthough the preferred embodiment thereof is as illustrated anddescribed, yet it is to be understood that changes in the details ofconstruction can be had which .fall within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus of the character described comprising in combination aplurality of surface combustion burners, having mixing chambers, airsupply pipes entering said chambers, fuel supply pipes adapted todeliver fuel to said chambers whereby to form an explosive fuel and airmixture in the respective chambers, pressure control means interposed insaid respective air and fuel pipes, pipes for delivering said mixturesto the respective burners for combustion to form incandescent gassubstantially devoid of free oxygen, a plurality of containers, conduitsfor delivering said incandescent gases into respective containers, aninlet to one of said containers for the material to be processed, ductsfor conducting the non-volatile material processed in one container tothe adjoining container whereby the material to be processed is adaptedto pass through said containers in succession and is subjected topyrolytic treatment by said gases in the successive containers.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said conduits are provided withrespective communicating pipes for the introduction of a cooler inertgas thereinto to govern thetemperature of said incandescent gases.

^ O. KEELING.

